1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for computing a T-function based Stream Cipher (TSC)-4, and more particularly, to a hardware-based computation apparatus using a TSC-4 algorithm for reduction in hardware weight and high-speed computation.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A TSC-4 algorithm, which was proposed by the eSTREAM project under management of the European Network of Excellence for Cryptology (ECRYPT) as a European standard stream cipher, was adopted as a standard algorithm of the Telecommunication Technology Association by the Korean Telecommunication Technology Association in December 2006.
The TSC-4 algorithm treats a plaintext as a bit stream to encrypt it by 8 bits (or 1 byte) at a time.
Conventional stream ciphers mainly use a Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR). The TSC-4 algorithm, however, can be implemented in a smaller size than the LFSR, using a new calculation method called T-function, and is also suitable to be implemented in software due to its 32-bit structure.
It has not been long since the above-described TSC-4 algorithm was adopted as the standard algorithm of Telecommunication Technology Association. Thus, although research on the TSC-4 algorithm is not actively in progress, in reference to a conventional hardware-based cipher implementation process, it is predicted that the TSC-4 algorithm will be implemented for high speed and light weight.